what is essential
by AtLoLevad
Summary: Tony buys Ziva a Parisian book store


He buys her a book store. Or, well, he tries to.

What really happens is that Tony wants it to be a surprise, but he's got a big mouth. Ziva hears him on the phone, telling his plans to Tim, to Senior, to Ellie, to Gibbs even, and she knows that she does not want him to blow his entire savings on her and, well, she does have a significant inheritance from Eli.

She tells him that she knows his plans while they lay in bed, tangled together. Tali and Ben are fast asleep and the baby growing inside of her is still weeks away from movement, but Tony's hand is a permanent fixture on her stomach. He pouts that his surprise has been ruined and protests her suggestion of using Eli's money. Their tempers flare and they argue quietly for an hour before compromising on using Eli's money for 40% of the purchase price and Tony's for the remaining 60%. It doesn't really matter in the end except to assuage Tony's male pride, because their money and their accounts have been mingled since before they got married six months ago.

So, they buy a book store.

It's old and used and tiny. But it's also full of natural light and stacks of used books in every language. Ziva steps foot through the door, Ben on her hip and Tony and Tali at her back, and _gasps_ because it's perfect.

She hadn't been _lost_ by any sense of the word for years now, but having something that is hers to run and enjoy and work at, seems to ignite something in her soul that had been missing. Her heart pounds when she thinks about how much work it will be to keep this little store afloat, while raising a young family, but she grins at Tony while Tali and Ben run through the stacks and they both know she is more than up for the challenge.

The decide to postpone the re-opening of the store until after the baby is born, so Ziva spends the next few months poking around the store and seeing what kind of inventory they have. Tony joins her after he leaves the office and on weekends, complaining about the dust and the stacks of books that sometimes topple off of shelves and land on his head. But he does it with a smile and flirts with Ziva as he goes, calling her Kathleen Kelly and plying her with croissants and brie. Ziva rolls her eyes, but indulges him when he twirls her around to Sinatra.

While they're taking stock, Ziva finds a dusty copy of _Deep Six_ by Thom E. Gemcity. It's creased - clearly read over and over, which makes Ziva smile. She takes the book off the shelf and tucks it behind the counter. Later, she climbs into bed, into his waiting arms, and pulls the book out. Tony laughs - "Remember how mad Palmer was about Pimmy Jalmer?" - and they crack it open, reading together and smiling about Tommy and Lisa, who had gotten it together long before their real life counterparts had. Ziva makes a mental note to ask Tim if she and Tony has been this bad in the bullpen, even though she knows the answer is that they had been _worse_. And as Tony pulls her close, grinning and protesting that he certainly hadn't said _that_, she kisses the side of his jaw and rests her hand against the swell of her stomach.

* * *

About a month before she's due, Tony surprises her with a sign for the store. It has one, technically, but it's so faded and old, the letters are illegible. Ziva's organizing books when Tali and Ben bounce through the front door, practically tumbling over each other.

"Ima! Ima! Come outside," Tali squeals, tugging on her hand.

"Daddy has 'prise!" Ben beams, chubby toddler hands clenched in excitement.

"A surprise?" Ziva cocks an eyebrow - this is either going to go one of two ways. As she lifts Ben onto her hip, she thoroughly hopes the surprise is not the tiny puppy Tali had seen in the window of the pet store two weeks ago.

They get outside and there he is - grinning like a fool, the large sign resting on the sidewalk and leaning against his legs. He throws one hand out in a jazz hand, the other holding the sign steady, and exclaims, "surprise!"

Ziva's jaw drops and her eyes well up with tears. They had talked about the name for the store, but seeing it here, in big white letters, is more than she could have ever dreamed of.

"Oh, Tony!" she gasps, gently letting Ben slip to his feet. Both kids scramble to stand with Tony, jumping around - all smiles and excited shouting.

"Like it?" he asks, lifting Ben onto his hip.

"I love it," she says softly, her eyes saying everything she can't quite put into words. He understands - he always understands.

* * *

Sylvia Jean DiNozzo is born in June and Invisible to the Eye officially reopens to the public in September.

Tony tries to get her to take a longer maternity leave, but Ziva just feels restless, knowing the store is just waiting there for her. Tali is off at school and Ben is an easy child. Ziva holds Sylvie in a carrier strapped to her chest and sets Ben behind the counter with coloring pages and she opens the store.

It's slow at first, only a handful of people stopping in each day. More often than not, the giant armchairs that Tony had moved in front of the non-functioning fireplace are occupied by their own children - Ben playing with his stuffed animals and Tali draped over the arms, nose buried in a book.

That's the best part of owning a used bookstore, Ziva thinks, that Tali's love of reading is fostered and encouraged. She reads so much, multiple books a week, in multiple languages.

_Harry Potter_ in English, _Percy Jackson_ in Greek, _The Little Prince_ in French, _The Chronicles of Narnia_ in German, _Charlie Bone_ in Italian.

Even Tony's brushed up on his languages and can be found reading Ian Fleming's James Bond novels in Italian.

Ziva loves the days when Tony comes by the store after work, always intending to take the kids back to the apartment and start dinner, but always ending up chatting with customers as they trickle in and peruse the stacks. The store feels extra cozy on those days - warm and familiar and hers.

As the weeks wear on, the store becomes busier and busier, word of mouth spreading the news of the young ("Hah! Hear that Zee-vah? _Young_!") American couple and their charming children with the cozy, friendly store. Soon enough, they have regulars who stop in to coo over baby Sylvie and have tea with Ziva and read books to Ben.

There's teenagers looking bored as they try to find cheap copies of the books they need to read for school and young adults that are aimless and lost and find advice and guidance from a Ziva who is self-assured and at peace with herself. There are tourists and natives and old couples and young singles. There are men whole stop in with their wives and end up chatting about soccer with Tony. Tali loves it when children come in with their parents - she has the DiNozzo charm and an ability to make friends, however fleeting, with nearly everyone that crosses her path.

They talk about going back to D.C. occasionally, to be closer to their friends, to see Tali and Ben and Sylvie grow up with Victoria and Donnie Palmer and the McGee twins. It's always something that they say they'll do "eventually."

But, when Ziva cradles Sylvie in her arms, watching Tali and Ben help Tony restock the shelves – arguing as they go, she knows that a move back to D.C., if it happens at all, is in the very distant future.

D.C. doesn't seem to be _home_ anymore.

* * *

_A/N: hello, all! popping out of my study exile to post this bit of fluff. please leave me a review so i have something to keep me going while i'm languishing in the library! xo_


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